Hosiery applicator



Dec. 25, 1962 M. KENNEDY, SR

HOSIERY APPLICATOR Filed May 5, 1960 MELVIN KENNEDY, SR.

INVENTOR.

FIG. 3

3,070,271 Patented Dec. 25, 1962 3,97%271 HGSHERY AliLllCATOR Melvin Kennedy, $12, *Capitol, (imaha, Nebr- Filed May 5, 19st), Ser. No. 27,125 (6i. LES-Jill) This invention relates to special devices for the assistance of handicapped persons and more particularly it is an object to provide a device for assisting in the pulling on of a piece of hosiery.

Persons suffering from arthritis and various other ha caps find it difiicult to bend the knees and sometimes the body in order to reach the feet to place a sock or stocking on. I

The relative dependency and helplessness caused by this inability to do a commonly needed thing is very difiicult on the morale and so attempts have been made to develop devices for this purpose.

However, it is an object to devise such a device which is of greater simplicity and more easily operated than heretofore.

Still another object is to provide a device employing tabs which can be permanently attached to the upper edge of a sock and which can be disengaged from the device making it unnecessary to reach down to disconnect parts from the sock as many arthritic patients not only cannot reach their toes but cannot reach be'ow their knees either.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the drawing, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view showing the device fixed to a sock and a portion of the operator.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of a lower portion of the device fixed to the sock.

FIGURE. 3 is a frontal elevation of the lower portion of the device in vertical position with parts broken away for clarity of illustration.

While one embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the above-referred-to-drawings, it is to be understood that they are merely for the purpose of illustration that various changes in construction may be resorted to in the course of manufacture in order that the invention may be utilized to the best advantage accord' g to circumstances which may arise, without in manner departing from the spirit and intention of the device, which is to be limit :1 only in accordance with the appended claims. And while there is stated the primary field of utility of the invention, it remains obvious that it may be employed in any other capacity wherein it may be found applicable.

Referring to the drawings, for more par icular description a hosiery piece or sock is generally wn at it; in FIGURES l and 2 and in accordance with invention a plurality of elongated tabs are disposed at the la edge of the sock in in spaced apart positions at d perimeter of the upper edge lid of the sock around opening 18 thereof. taching the tabs lidto the sock and such means can for trample be stitching 24.

The tabs 14 have holes 36 in the upper ends of a circle or ferred to as the lower side 44 whereby when the ringshaped frame 40 is placed in an operative position such as shown in FEGURES 1 and 2, the tab engaging members extend downwardly and generally in approximate alignment with each other, although each tab engaging finger member 36 has a shank portion 50 attached to the frame 49 and also has a terminal end 52 inclining away from the center of the open space generally indicated at 54, the

latter being disposed between and defined by the tab engaging fingers 36, each terminal end 52 also extending at an inclination to the remainder or upper part or shank 5d of each respective finger-like member.

As thus described when the lower ends of the tabs are suitably connected to the upper end of the hosiery piece as for example by stitching 2d, and when the tabs 14 are placed with their holes 30 receiving extended terminal ends 52 of the tab engaging finger members 36, then the upper part of the hosiery piece 10 will be stretched downwardly facilitating the placing of the operators toes in the upper end opening 18 of the hosiery piece.

Suitable handle means is provided and attached to and extends from the frame ring 40 in a direction generally opposite from the e'ongated tab engaging finger members 36 and such handle means preferably includes a pair of elongated handles generally indicated at 74} having el0ngated shank 72 which is preferably straight and which extends generally opposite from the elongated tab engaging fingers 36. On their upper ends the handles 7% have arcuate gripping portions 78 which extend transversely to the straight shanks 72 to facilitate gripping by the operators hands 80.

The lower ends of the handle shank 72 are attached to the ring 4-6 by means best seen in FIGURE 3.

Referring to FIGURE 3 it wi l be seen that the handle shanks 72 are of tubular shape and are adapted to fit downwardly over a cylindrically shaped portion 86 of an attached member 3% which latter has enlarged lower ends welded or suitably secured at tl to the upper side of the ring-shaped frame 4%.

Suitable setscrews 92 extend through the shank 72 and into a threaded recess 98 in the cylindrical portion 86 respectively to firmly secure the handle shanks 72 indirectly to the ring do.

As thus described, it will be seen that af er the ooerafor has pulled the sock up over his foot and onto his leg sufficiently for the bottom of his foot to be in the bottom of the sock or hosiery piece, then the operator can remove the tabs from the respective finger members by poking them off with a cane or the like, not shown, unless the operator can bend sulficiently to reach them at that time.

it will be seen that in a general sense the finger-like tab securing members 36 and the tab holes 39 comprise securing means for securing the frame to the tab and that is the meaning of the term securing means when used in the appended claims.

From the foregoing specification, it will become appareat that the invention disclosed will adequately accomplish the functions for which it has been designed and in an economical manner, and that its simplicity, accuracy, and ease of operation are such as to provide a relatively inexpensive device, considering what it will accomplish, and that it will find an important place in the art to which it appertains when once placed on the market.

It is thought that persons skilled in the art to which the invention relates will be able to obtain a clear understanding of the invention after considering the description in connection with the drawings. Therefore a more lengthy description is regarded as unnecessary.

Changes in shape, size and arrangement of details and parts such as come within the purview of the invention 0 claimed may be resorted to in actual practice, if desired.

I claim:

1. An assembly for assisting a handicapped person to pull the upper portion of a piece of hosiery onto his leg comprising in combination a plurality of elongated tabs adapted to be disposed at the upper edge of the hosiery piece at spaced apart positions around the perimeter of the upper edge thereof, one end of each of said tabs being adapted to be secured to said hosiery piece, said tabs having holes in extended ends thereof, a frame, said frame having an opening therein extending generally vertically therethrough for receiving the operators foot, a plurality of tab-engaging elongated finger-like members disposed at spaced apart points on said frame whereby an open space is defined by and between said tab engaging members, said tab engaging members extending from a lower side of said frame whereby when said frame is placed in an operative position said tab engaging members extend downwardly and generally in approximate alignment with each other, each of said tab-engaging members having a terminal end inclining away from the center of said open space and at an inclination to the remainder and upper part of each respective finger-like member whereby when the lower ends of said tabs are connected to the upper end of said hosiery piece and when said tabs are placed with their holes receiving the extended ends of said tabengaging members then the upper end of said hosiery piece will be held for facilitating the placing of the operators toes in the upper end opening of the hosiery piece, and handle means attached to and extending from said frame and extending in a direction generally opposite from said elongated tab-engaging members, said handle being of such a length that an operator can place the hosiery piece on himself with substantially less bending than is usual for a person not handicapped.

2. The combination described in claim 1 in which said tabs are specifically permanently attached to said hosiery piece by means of stitching.

3. An assembly for assisting a handicapped person to pull the upper portion of a piece of hosiery onto his leg comprising in combination: a plurality of elongated tabs adapted to be disposed at the upper edge of the hosiery piece at spaced apart positions around the perimeter of the upper edge thereof, one end of each of said tabs being adapted to be secured to said hosiery piece, a frame, securing devices attached to said frame and disposed at spaced apart points on said frame whereby an open space is defined by and between said securing devices, said securing devices extending from a lower side of said frame whereby when said frame is placed in an operative position said securing devices extend downwardly from said frame and are attachable to said tabs respectively, and said frame having an opening therein for receiving in an area adjacent said open space, said opening in said frame being of a size for receiving a foot therethrough, an elongated handle means attached to and extending from said frame and of such a length that an operator can place the hosiery piece on himself with substantially less bending than is usual for a person not handicapped.

4. The combination of claim 1 and in further combination with a hosiery piece itself in which the assembly described in claim 1 is so positioned that when it is in a position of use with respect to the said hosiery piece, the upper perimeter of the hosiery piece is held in a stretched open position for further facilitating placing of the hosiery on.

5. The combination of claim 3 and in further combination with a hosiery piece itself in which the device described in claim 3 is so positioned that when it is in a position of use with respect to the said hosiery piece, the upper perimeter of the hosiery piece is held in a stretched position for further facilitating placing of the hosiery on.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 129,175 Russell July 16, 1872 312,321 Blohm Feb. 17, 1885 2,443,115 Park June 8, 1948 2,479,356 Hennes Aug. 16, 1949 2,888,177 Zabel May 26, 1959 

